Congress passed the Clean Water Act nearly 30 years ago to eliminate the discharge of
pollutants into U.S. waters and achieve water quality levels that are fishable and
swimmable. Initially, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concentrated on
industrial point source and sewage treatment sources of pollutants.

The Clean Water Action Plan, announced in 1998, refocused the cleanup of surface waters
to include nonpoint sources of pollution. This type of pollution typically is described as
coming from lawn care, agriculture, forestry, and construction activities. These nonpoint
sources include livestock operations described by EPA as animal feeding operations (AFO)
or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO). An AFO is a feeding operation that does
not have to be regulated; a CAFO is a regulated feeding operation that has been inspected
and found to be a significant contributor of water pollution or that has more than 1,000
animal units in its operation.

Livestock owners and operators are becoming familiar with the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This system is being revised to address nonpoint
source discharges. If approved, the system would identify individual livestock operations
as an AFO or a CAFO, and then issue a permit to the operator if discharges of pollutants
are found to be coming from the operation. These permits will require the implementation
of a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) to address the nutrient, sediment, or
pathogen discharges.

A nutrient management plan has six components. Four are necessary and two depend on the
individual operation.

Proper storage of manure and maintenance of the storage structure.

Proper land application of the manure.

Appropriate site management that looks at the risks on a particular field, such as
sinkholes, streams running through the field, shallow groundwater, or erosion that needs
to be controlled.

Record keeping that documents land practices, so that if anyone has questions, there is
proof of what is being done and why.

The two optional components under the plan are:

Feed management to improve feed efficiency so that nutrient content of manure is
reduced.

Alternative uses for the manure. This component is needed by producers whose operations
generate more manure than can be applied on their own land.

An NPDES permit will include a schedule for completing a nutrient management plan and
the requirement that it be maintained and updated. The livestock operations owner is
responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the plan.

The Natural Resources Conservation Services role is to provide technical guidance
in writing nutrient management plans. Independent certified planners or certified staff
from the Soil Conservation Agency and WVU Extension Service also are available to area
livestock producers interested in developing a plan.

Nutrient management planners in the Northeast are preparing to respond to the 80
percent of landowners who own livestock who are expected to have a nutrient management
plan within the next three to five years. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture
(WVDA) has established a nutrient management certification program. Individuals are
fulfilling the certification requirements in anticipation of the future workload.

West Virginia livestock producers should not see nutrient management planning as a
regulatory hoop to jump through. It is a management tool that can improve farm
profitability. Over the last 10 years, many farmers developed nutrient management plans
before this regulatory pressure arose so they could safely apply nutrients to their
farmland and get the most nutrient value from their animal manure.

A nutrient management plan is a method of demonstrating that the farm operator is
minimizing the environmental impacts of raising livestock while improving the efficiency
of the operation. Regulators will be looking at groups of farmers in watersheds to adopt
nutrient management strategies as a whole. If groups of farmers voluntarily implement
nutrient management plans, it eventually will allow them to defend themselves in
situations where agriculture is accused of creating environmental problems.

If you are a livestock producer, how well do you recycle the animal manure generated on
your farm? How well do you manage the winter feeding area on the farm? Are you currently
using a nutrient management plan that is updated annually by a certified planner? If a
Division of Environmental Protection officer visited your operation, could you document
how you are minimizing erosion, utilizing manure, and applying fertilizer at the right
time and rate?

Why do you need a nutrient management plan? Because a nutrient management plan makes
sense from the environmental, risk management, and economic points of view. At this time,
the WVDA has 42 certified nutrient management planners throughout the state. Contact the
WVDA at (304) 558-2201 for assistance in locating one of these certified planners. The
planner will help you become prepared for the changing regulatory environment and improve
your ability to defend the actions you take on your farm.